Automobile truck



J. A. 'GEI-mum@ AUTOMOBILE TRUCK Aprilr '2l Filed Sept. '7,l 1922 3 SheetS-Sheat 3.

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April El, 1925.

miriam-Sheet 3 Li.' A. GEHRUNG UTOMOBILE TRUCK Filed spt. v, 1922 iieteiateoi `licor):

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Appleation le September 7; 19%., Seria No. lfe.

To aZZ whom 'it may conccm: l V

Be it known that L JULIEN A. GEHRUNG, citizen of the United States, and e, resii'iciii; of ehe county of New York and State i of New York, have invented certain new eed useful :improvements in Automobile iircckoew forth in the following speciice tion. I f

This invention relates to automobile recke, i

The oi'ijeci; of the vinvention :is to over `come the' diiicuiizy of traciion usually preseiii; in e Wiieei-driveogmotor.truck on slipery ground. More pcriicuieriy, am object lehe invention is to combine in o, standard ,comobiie time i: ci the Woe beving'our or more Wheeie emi incicciing e pair or" Wheels 'the reci: eed o goeie of vvheeis et. the iront eicericiiy cpeccci fiorworriiy' of ehe rem: weis; e pair of oiioio izreeci tractors located ooe on cach oido of the truck between th iront and `time roer Wiiecie.

Further objects ci eine invention are to movido eiiicielot cruc'moi means foe come "iiming e; pair of euch chain-tread tractor with rm. ectomoiuiie inicia of ehe iyipc de scribed. i l

The oiii'occe of ehe invention vviii be better .misfierstoori icy reference to the illustrative i ezmimdimeofl thereof zie'ccbcci in the following epeciiicoiziori iii connection with the accompanying drawings, which icrm ey pari; hereof' emi in which iikecierccters deeignate corresponding parte m the several ig- Y fi ores, .The cieimc ere directed to this illustrative embodiment mereiy ior the purposes of illustration ond not limitation. y

In the drawings, Fig. Qi' ie' e pian vievv oi? en auiomobiie truck embodying my inven 'l `Lion, the ecole ileing; eicwiiin `pencil; die,-

,fgremmeeiceiiyg Fig. ic c eide eievezioii ci ehe structure MF1@ E.; l

Fig; is e ireciomi rietcii pleo drown oo ou eniargcei ece-ioni e' 'ifcck embodying my iliventioo;

Fi 4f. is e eide eievegio'n ci 'ehe pori; shown in 51g. 3' end, pariijgf in` section along the piene of line IV 41V fig". 3;

Figo is. e section iinoogi'i the staggered plane of line V-JV of Fig. 3; emi

, Fi n is e section through `bhe vpiene of :line iiD-@VI of Fig. 3. Y

I `lleve Shown' my invention combined with @uimnobile truck i oij atender com nomini construction, which ie ioirieretoci to!A wheels ezc 6 However, ii ie Jro be understood ti fr for Some purposes ehe ueuei trellis.-

miseioo. mechanism, which io iiegrzimmetb ceiiy inciiccred in. me drawings as compreing ciutch 7 adjacent wheel E37 immuniscion 9, universei l0, propeiier simio 1i, imil versal 12, prooeiier eiwit i3, universai iei, diereniiailf', axles lf3, may comprise eiso a secondary or auxiliary clutch e serviceebie in disconnecting; the regular driving wixecie 5 and 6 from the power pieno and permit tingho controi imei operaiioo. oi-iziie Erector mechanism through the usuei service clutch.

and transmission gears of ehe' commercial truck, ail as will hereafter more uiiy oppeur. It is also io Mbe understood that no4# withstanding the foot that ehe coiiiierciai truck iiiustmcri in the drewii'igo io of eine shaft drive type, there is comme; iiiehe in vention "which precludes it 'being' mein drive type so ier ce the main -feetureo o )the invention are concerned; i

A peilof transverse. truss beams F F are shaped pi'eicrebiy es indicated in the drawings with centrali downvvariiy sweeping arches 17 io'escepe the propeller shaft, Filler clocks 18 ere provideci to ineke into the channels ci' the side beams' l and 2 and by the application of boite firmiy 'clamp the beams TF end Fito the ehassie. These beams extend one letereiiy and are provided with downwardly projecting arms 19 corresponde ing with he cuter pianos or confines of the Wheels, Rigdiy kscpcooked in 'the citerai pockets formed; by these "trensversebecms is e side frame Ci for the )left o the truck 'and G for `@he ,right of the truck. These side frames provide vertical runways 22 for the chain treadtrecitore H and HC, the usuel commercoi construction iii each comprising e, chain treed 24, cooperating twin driving immo 25 emi 26 rotating respeciveiy upooieiricc emi 9B. These Chaim treads 2li aremv-eoged'preferabiy so es to recic'wti'i the week Wheels. This has c zmetogiol advantage in timo going through .the rough groom? yto be'iieiiceee imfcooe sei, oi tracks have "i" e cirumc'are m eno tei-linked. hy sprockets 29 and 30 through the medium of sprocket chain'l. 'The idler bar 33 of the chain treadis of usual conn struction and in the embodiment illustrated an idler drum 34 for the chain tread is indi'-A cated. The axle 27, having hearings ona tractor block casting 37, projects inwardly i through a' suitable slot 38 in the side frames,

for the elevated position of the tractor in# dicated. In its elevated position it may he maintained, if desired, by finger releasable latches d3.

Each tractor in its frame is arranged to he forced upwardly out of Contact with the roadway and `is likewise arranged to loe forcibly held,`although resiliently, against the roadway. To this end a lon itudinal shaft 44; suitably journaled is tte at both ends with a head t5 to take the socket of an operating crankL Mid positioned on this shaft is a pinion 4 meshing with a rack 47, the upward continuation of which is a piston rod 48 connected with piston 49 of hydraulic cylinder 50, which may be operated in any approved manner, as hy the force pump 51, The cylinder and piston rod constitute an hydraulic jack intended to operate alternatively with the'raclt and pinion 46, 1l?, both or either of which serve to draw up the saddle 55 carrying the longitudinal 'bridge spring 56. The ends of this spring 56 are operatively connected by saddles 57 and 58 with the rear and front ends of each tractor. Each saddle 57 and 58 aiso is provided with a pneumatic dash pot control, the piston rods 58 or which connect with the pistons 59 working in cylinders o0 under the control of valves l. y

in the structure illustrated, gravity is serviceable in eecting the depression of each tractor into operative engagement with the road-bed. lt is, of course, to he understood, however, that should more 'forcible engagement with the road-bed be desiredit may he eected hy the exertion of a downward force upon the rack 47 or piston rod,

48. Thus the de ree of resilient pressure exerted downwar ly by the spring 56 may be regulated and'when once regulated a fis'h ing of the position of the shaftfi/L hy the latch sets the adjustment. When in operation the necessary up and d own movement of the tractor to accommodate irregularities in the roadway is resiliently permitted hy this spring under the control also of the dash pots.

The preferred manner of effecting the operative driving of the tractors is through the medium of a worm applied to theI Meissie propeller 11 in the form of a clamp two-part forging. This Worm cooperates` with an underlying worm gear 7l having an idlebearing upon the transversely journaledshaft 72, the sides 73 of this worm gear loe- 'ing formed as one part of a clutch, the other parts 75 and 76 of which are splined loosely upon the shaft 72 under the engaging and disengaging control of the double toggle 7 7 operated in any suitable manner, as by the lever 78. The fulcrums of the arms o the double toggle are indicated by 81 and 82. lt is preferable, when it becomes necessary to employ the tractors, that the propeller shaft ll he disconnected from the drive wheels 5 and 6 through the medium of the auxiliary clutch e.

Gears 83 and 84 fixed to shaft 72 drive respectively the left or the ri ht gear 85 on stub shaft 86, which, throug i the medium of bevel gear 87 meshing with bevel gear S8 drives shaft S9. Shaft 89 extends longitudinally to the rear Where itis provided with hevel gear 99 meshing with bevel gear 91 on the vertical shaft 41. The worm gear 40 at the lower end of shaft 41 serves in addition to the driving means for worm gear 39 as a clutch disengageable from the chain-tread tractorwhen itis elevated to bring the worm and gear 40, 39 out of mesh.

As an auxiliary drive for cach tractor oras an alternative method of driving each tractor, provision is made for driving each tractor from the corresponding rear wheel. To thisc'nd a bevel gear 93 is shown meshing with the gear 91 and is fixed to the inner end of shaft 94. Shaft 94 extends outwardly through suitable hearings in the side frame and carries at its outer end sprocket 95 to uwhich a sprocket chain 96 may he fitted to he driven from an auxiliary sprocket wheel'97 fitted one to each wheel. l,this chain drive is employed, the shaft and gear drive from worm 7 0 may he thrown out of commission by releasing the clutches 75 and. 7 6; or, in fact., if desired, entire reliance may he had upon the chain drive and all of the shaft and gear drive mechanism from thc worm 70 may loe omitted. The drive of each tractor from its corresponding rear wheel of the truck has the advantage of employing the differential of the truck in the driving of the auxiliary tractors, which facilitates the taking of curves. In whatever manner the tractors are propelled, the geen ing'for that purpose. isselected of such a ratio that the lineal drive of the chain tread is equal to the peripheral drive of the drive wheels 5 and 6. Ir' it is desired to drive the tractors through the medium of the gear and shaft drive of the worm 70, the rear wheels may be disconnected entirely from the power Obviously, when plant bythe removal of the sprocket chains l, n il 48 are not locked or should Ahave play sol that the tractor is supported sup lementarily on a resilient air cushion. In act, the

`inventive thought may have a variet of eX- Ersiona, especially in the details o its emodiment, all as is contem lated by what I claim and desire to secure y United States Letters Patent as follows:

1. In an automobile truck in combination, a chassis; four wheels, one air of which are operatively connectable with said power plant; a pair of Chaimtrcad tractors located res actively on opposite sides of said chassis an between a front and a rear wheel; means .for forcing said tractors into and out of tractive enga ement with the road-bed:

through crossearns extending transversely to the said chassis secured thereto and overhanging said tractors on both sides thereof and servin between. said tractors and said truck and means for operatively connecting said trac! tors with said power plant.

u'2. The structure described in claim 1 and further characterized by the fact that cach said tractor when tracking on the roadbed is reslicntly connected with said chassis.

2l. The structure described in claim 1 and `J'Lillrther characterized; by the fact that the as the supporting connection' treads of said tractors track respectively substantially with those of the wheels ofb said truck.

4. The structure described in claim l and further characterized by the fact that the lineal tractive movement of said tractors is substantially equal to that of the driving wheels of said truck. I 1

5. In combination -with an. automobile truck having a chassis and front and rear wheels, of a pair of rigid side frames located each between a front and a rear wheel; a pair of chain-tread tractors, each guided for vertical movement in and held against transverse and longitudinal movement by one of said side frames; and a set of through cross- 4beams for mounting said tractors and extending the full width across the chassis of said truck out on both sides into the plane of the wheels thereof.

6. In combination with an automobile truck having a chassis and front and rear wheels, of a pair of rigid side frames located each between a front and a rear wheel; and a pair of chain-tread tractors each guided for vertical movement in and held against transverse and longitudinal movement by one of said side frames; and means for resiliently and forcibly restraining-cach said tractor in a depressed position in each said side frame; and a set of through cross-beams for mounting said tractors and extending the full width across the chassis of said truck out of hand this 18th day ofl August, 1922.

JULIEN A. cannone'.

both sides into the plane of the Wheels 

